Uh oh. A very active region of the sun is revolving into view, taking aim at Earth. HERE COMES TROUBLE? A big sunspot is emerging over the sun’s southeastern limb, and it is crackling with activity. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded … Continue reading →

NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft successfully achieved orbit around Mercury at approximately 9 p.m. EDT Thursday. This marks the first time a spacecraft has accomplished this engineering and scientific milestone at our solar system’s innermost planet. For the next several weeks, APL … Continue reading →

What would it look like to approach Saturn in a spaceship? One doesn’t have to just imagine — the Cassini spacecraft did just this in 2004, recording thousands of images along the way, and thousands more since entering orbit. Recently, some … Continue reading →

No. No. No. No. The term “supermoon” makes my eyes roll. That said, did the upcoming full moon, which will occur at the closest approach of the moon to the earth, cause the quake? No. No. No. Full moons happen … Continue reading →

You think the disaster in Japan is bad? What if the sun pops off a tsunami that wipes out power to the entire United States? Fact 1. In 1859 the sun unleashed a flare that, if it happened today, could … Continue reading →